Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,491 in Manama versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,432 in Manama versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,373 in Manama versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Manama is roughly 21% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manama is 11% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.71 BHD 2.52

$4.63 ฿151

44.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.5 BHD 19.72

$46.84 ฿1,523

11.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 BHD 2.87

$8.84 ฿287

-13.57%

Cappuccino

$5.19 BHD 1.95

$3.00 ฿97.4

73.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 BHD 0.30

$0.74 ฿24.11

8.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 BHD 0.14

$0.37 ฿11.88

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 BHD 3.02

$2.44 ฿79.3

229.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.43 BHD 3.92

$3.61 ฿117

188.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 BHD 0.64

$2.26 ฿73.5

-24.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 BHD 0.50

$1.84 ฿59.8

-27.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 BHD 0.91

$2.24 ฿73.0

8.48%

Eggs

$2.48 BHD 0.93

$2.32 ฿75.3

6.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 BHD 3.33

$19.67 ฿639

-54.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 BHD 2.91

$3.65 ฿119

111.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 BHD 3.80

$13.10 ฿426

-22.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 BHD 0.91

$3.39 ฿110

-28.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 BHD 0.76

$1.64 ฿53.4

23.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BHD 0.64

$2.41 ฿78.5

-29.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 BHD 0.44

$2.03 ฿66.0

-41.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 BHD 0.33

$1.56 ฿50.6

-44.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BHD 0.40

$1.50 ฿48.66

-28.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 BHD 0.57

$1.02 ฿33.30

49.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 BHD 0.32

$0.49 ฿15.91

75.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 BHD 2.48

$4.45 ฿145

48.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 BHD 6.99

$18.88 ฿614

-1.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 BHD 1.27

$1.78 ฿57.7

89.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 BHD 1.20

$2.75 ฿89.5

16.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 BHD 0.31

$1.40 ฿45.54

-40.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.62 BHD 11.89

$11.48 ฿373

175.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 BHD 1.70

$3.12 ฿101

45.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.01 BHD 1.51

$1.00 ฿32.48

301.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.24 BHD 9.87

$14.09 ฿458

86.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 BHD 0.20

$1.35 ฿43.93

-61.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.1K BHD 13.9K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

36.31%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.8K BHD 7,809

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-36.92%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$124 BHD 46.47

$125 ฿4,063

-1.10%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.44 BHD 10.32

$13.57 ฿441

102.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.91 BHD 14.63

$18.52 ฿602

110.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.6 BHD 26.54

$61.5 ฿1,999

14.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.91 BHD 16.51

$16.84 ฿547

160.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.72 BHD 4.03

$9.19 ฿299

16.65%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$394 BHD 148

$698 ฿22.7K

-43.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,871 BHD 3,336

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-43.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.39 BHD 17.44

$57.8 ฿1,878

-19.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.4 BHD 23.82

$35.24 ฿1,146

79.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 BHD 31.26

$113 ฿3,677

-26.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 BHD 33.63

$86.4 ฿2,808

3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 BHD 309

$616 ฿20.0K

33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 BHD 208

$446 ฿14.5K

24.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 BHD 663

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-13.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 BHD 460

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-18.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,580 BHD 970

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-31.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,957 BHD 736

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-26.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 BHD 899

$524 ฿17.0K

356.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.56

5.33

60.60%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Manama: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $822 in Manama and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 356% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Manama vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $292, with Manama cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Manama vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Manama. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Manama pays 356% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $822 in Manama versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 175% less than in Manama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $394 in Manama versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,491 in Manama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Manama. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manama and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.